Cal CRO ASHWIN PURI is leaving the school to become A’s VP/Strategy & Business Operations. Puri, a ‘17 SBJ/SBD “Forty Under 40” winner, was responsible for some of Cal’s biggest business deals in the last few years, including the $87M deal with Under Armour and the $100M multimedia rights deal with Learfield. He also negotiated a new licensing arrangement with Learfield Licensing Partners this year. At the A’s, Puri will oversee many of the club’s growth initiatives, including commerce, strategic planning and data analytics. Puri will report to A’s COO CHRIS GILES. Prior to Cal, Puri worked with the NBA’s team marketing and business operations division and spent 18 months as NFL Jets Dir of Sales, where he was in charge of their PSL program during the development of MetLife Stadium (Michael Smith, Staff Writer).
CAMPUS NEWS: The Pac-12 named California College of Arts Chief Financial & Administrator Officer LAURA HAZLETT CFO. The conference also promoted Senior VP/Public Affairs ERIK HARDENBERGH to Chief of Staff. Replacing Hardenbergh's position will be ANDREW WALKER, who has previously worked for the WTA, ATP and N.Y.-based PR firm Burson-Marsteller (Pac-12)....Roger Williams Univ. named Springfield College Associate AD KRISTIN JACOBS AD (PROVIDENCEJOURNAL.com, 7/17)....Learfield named YMCA of Southern Nevada VP DAN DOLBY GM of its UNLV property. Learfield also named the following to its UNLV property: JAY VICKERS Manager of Business Development; BEAU ORTH Manager of Business Development; JOEY SWANNER Manger of Business Development; and SAVANNAH STALLWORTH Manager of Marketing & Branding (THE DAILY).
EXECS: The newly-formed CAA China named Special Olympics Int'l Regional President & Managing Dir MARY GU SHUHANG CEO. CAA China was launched in April by CAA in partnership with CMC Capital Partners (Liz Mullen, Staff Writer)....The Houston Golf Association named PGA Tour Honda Classic Dir of Media & Corporate Partnerships RUSS EVANS Senior Dir of Sales. Evans will be responsible for driving new business for the Tour's Houston Open (THE DAILY)....The Devils and Prudential Center named MSG Manager of Marketing & Promotions MICHELLE MCCARTHY Dir of Entertainment Marketing. The two organizations also named Angel Stadium and Legends Hospitality Senior Consultant/Special Events STARR BUTLER Dir of Special Events. Butler will report to VP/Entertainment Programming BRIAN GALE (Prudential Center)....Blackhawks D BRIAN CAMPBELL yesterday announced that he will retire and join the team's business operations department, where he will "assist with marketing, community relations and youth hockey initiatives" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/18)....Innovative Partnerships Group named IAN SHAPIRO Dir for Valuation & Analytics (THE DAILY).
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